King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
Complete Jewish Bible:
When Amrafel was king of Shin'ar, Aryokh king of Elasar, K'dorla'omer king of 'Elam and Tid'al king of Goyim;
Berean Standard Bible:
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim
American Standard Version:
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And it came to pass in the days{H3117} of Amraphel{H569} king{H4428} of Shinar{H8152}, Arioch{H746} king{H4428} of Ellasar{H495}, Chedorlaomer{H3540} king{H4428} of Elam{H5867}, and Tidal{H8413} king{H4428} of nations{H1471};
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 10:10
- And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Genesis 10:22
- The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Genesis 11:2
- And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
Isaiah 11:11
- And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Isaiah 37:12
- Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Telassar?
Ezekiel 32:24
- There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
Isaiah 22:6
- And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 14:1
Genesis 14:1 introduces a historical account set in the time of four powerful kings who ruled over various regions in the ancient Near East. These kings are Amraphel of Shinar (likely in the region of southern Mesopotamia), Arioch of Ellasar (possibly related to Larsa in southern Mesopotamia), Chedorlaomer of Elam (an area in present-day Iran), and Tidal of Goiim (or "nations," possibly a reference to a Hittite or Anatolian ruler).
The verse sets the stage for a significant event in the life of Abram (later named Abraham), where these four kings form an alliance and embark on a military campaign. The themes of this chapter include:
1. **Conflict and Alliance**: The alliance of these four powerful kings against the five rebellious kings of the cities in the Dead Sea region, including Sodom and Gomorrah, reflects the political and military dynamics of the time.
2. **Divine Sovereignty**: Despite the might of these kings, the narrative ultimately points to God's sovereignty over human affairs, as later in the chapter, Abram's victory over these kings is attributed to God's intervention.
3. **Rescue and Deliverance**: The chapter illustrates the theme of rescue and deliverance as Abram, with a small force, rescues his nephew Lot and others who were captured during the invasion.
4. **Righteousness and Blessing**: Abram's interaction with Melchizedek, the king of Salem, introduces the concept of righteousness and blessing, as Melchizedek blesses Abram, and Abram gives him a tithe.
The historical context of Genesis 14 is difficult to ascertain with precision due to the lack of extensive extra-biblical records from this period. However, the names of the kings and places have been linked to known historical figures and locations, suggesting that the account is set within the broader context of early second millennium BCE, during a time when city-states and nascent empires were common in the Near East. The narrative reflects the political instability and warfare characteristic of the period.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3117
There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹם
Transliteration: yôwm
Pronunciation: yome
Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. - Strong's Number: H569
There are 91 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַמְרָפֶל
Transliteration: ʼAmrâphel
Pronunciation: am-raw-fel'
Description: of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation; Amraphel, a king of Shinar; Amraphel. - Strong's Number: H4428
There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
Transliteration: melek
Pronunciation: meh'-lek
Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal. - Strong's Number: H8152
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שִׁנְעָר
Transliteration: Shinʻâr
Pronunciation: shin-awr'
Description: probably of foreign derivation; Shinar, a plain in Babylonia; Shinar. - Strong's Number: H746
There are 193 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲרְיוֹךְ
Transliteration: ʼĂryôwk
Pronunciation: ar-yoke'
Description: of foreign origin; Arjok, the name of two Babylonians; Arioch. - Strong's Number: H495
There are 26 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלָּסָר
Transliteration: ʼEllâçâr
Pronunciation: el-law-sawr'
Description: probably of foreign derivation; Ellasar, an early country of Asia; Ellasar. - Strong's Number: H3540
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כְּדׇרְלָעֹמֶר
Transliteration: Kᵉdorlâʻômer
Pronunciation: ked-or-law-o'-mer
Description: of foreign origin; Kedorlaomer, an early Persian king; Chedorlaomer. - Strong's Number: H5867
There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵילָם
Transliteration: ʻÊylâm
Pronunciation: ay-lawm'
Description: or עוֹלָם; (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36), probably from עָלַם; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his descendants, with their country; also of six Israelites; Elam. - Strong's Number: H8413
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תִּדְעָל
Transliteration: Tidʻâl
Pronunciation: tid-awl'
Description: perhaps from דְּחַל; fearfulness; Tidal, a Canaanite; Tidal. - Strong's Number: H1471
There are 511 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גּוֹי
Transliteration: gôwy
Pronunciation: go'-ee
Description: rarely (shortened) גֹּי; apparently from the same root as גֵּוָה (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts; Gentile, heathen, nation, people.